THIS Saturday afternoon, the fight for Australia’s rivers, oceans, and wildlife takes centre stage in Lin Sutherland’s latest documentary, ‘Toxic Waters’.

Screening at Redbank Plaza, the film unpacks the devastating ecological and human toll of pesticide use across Australia. From rivers to oceans, farmland to wildlife, ‘Toxic Waters’ exposes the silent casualties of pesticide pollution.

Sutherland paints a bleak picture, revealing the impact on marine life, wildlife, and ecosystems collapsing under the pressure of chemicals.

“Once people understand the story, the voices grow,” Sutherland says.

“This country is worth standing up for. Our rivers, our wildlife, our oceans – they are all calling for us to lend a hand.”

The film argues that pesticide pollution has devastated Australia’s major river systems, triggering soil erosion, algal blooms, and species loss.

For over two decades, Sutherland has dedicated herself to documenting Australia’s most vulnerable ecosystems and the forces driving their destruction.

Her previous works, from ‘Land of the Giants’ (Tasmanian forests) to ‘Beauty and the Reef’ (Great Barrier Reef), have drawn international attention to Australia’s fragile ecosystems.

But with ‘Toxic Waters’, however, she argues that this is “one of the most important films of our time”—an inconvenient truth largely ignored by political leaders and the mainstream media.

“People need to understand that if we poison the veins of our environment, we poison the planet itself,” Sutherland says.

Sutherland’s motivation for ‘Toxic Waters’ stems from personal experience.

“I had covered many stories about pesticides harming wildlife and marine life, but I became violently ill after pesticide baiting,” she recalls.

“For three days, I barely moved from my bed. That was my turning point.”

In her research, Sutherland uncovered what shocked her the most: the mass application of pesticides to entire urban landscapes. “Why would anyone consider covering every square inch of two major cities with chemicals? It was an ecological disaster waiting to happen,” she says.

The documentary being shown at Cineplex Redbank Plaza, Redbank, also highlights the often-invisible victims of pesticide use—people, wildlife, and ecosystems suffering in silence. Sutherland’s own community, nestled in a valley where she frequently walked her dog and swam in local waters, was exposed to toxic chemicals via aerial spraying.

Wildlife in the immediate area showed clear signs of distress.

“I saw my lorikeets plucking their own feathers, and the creek water quality deteriorated rapidly,” Sutherland says.

“It wasn’t just the wildlife; people were getting sick too. I even got a respiratory infection that lasted for a month after being caught beneath aerial spraying helicopters.”

Sutherland’s film highlights the tireless efforts of local people who have been affected by toxic chemicals and have become advocates and whistleblowers, risking everything to bring attention to the ongoing crisis

“People are standing up for what affects them directly, and that’s how change happens.

“The problem is rooted in money and international influence. Countries are pushing their chemical industries into Australia, making us a dumping ground for hazardous substances.”

This phenomenon has contributed to a $38 billion chemical economy that is compromising Australia’s environmental health.

The screening of Toxic Waters will be followed by a discussion with key figures from the film, offering a chance for the audience to engage with the issues raised.